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Company History 1913 to the present day...
Stephen H. Smith founded the present business on 2nd December 1966.
Christopher S.H. Smith (his son) joined the business in July 1985.
Stephen H. Smith's Garden and Leisure currently operates four retail garden
centres and a production nursery.
1913 to the present day...
Fred M. Simpson, aged 34 started a poultry business developing quality
strains of hens on the Wharfe Valley site in 1913. It was to be 21 years later,
aged 54 that Fred turned his attention to Horticulture, soon growing about
250,000 Wallflowers and 30,000 Gladioli each year. Fred's interest in breeding
better strains of poultry soon appeared on the nursery, but this time his energy
was directed towards plants.
World famous Otley Korean Chrysanthemum
He started with Chrysanthemums. He was given some specimens of the
Korean type from America. They were tall and straggly with a poor colour range,
and were rather late flowering for the North of England. But in them he saw the
potential for improvement - they needed to be dwarfer, have a better range of
colours and flower earlier in the season. He effected all three! In 1938 the
first three varieties of Otley Korean Cushion Chrysanthemum were put on the
market; they were named "Lucy Simpson" after his wife, and
"Margaret Simpson" and "Grace Simpson" after his two
daughters. More and more varieties were soon appearing, increasing the
kaleidoscope of colour, and these were distributed through Bakers of Codsall.
Their fame spread throughout the world, but it did not change Fred. He was still
the same humble and friendly man "playing about" in his small
greenhouse.
Lupins
He raised a Lupin "Otley Yellow" and worked hard to try and
produce a good yellow Chrysanthemum Maximum, but like everyone else so far, Fred
was unsuccessful.
Phlox
Fred's work with herbaceous Phlox was far more successful, as was his
Otley regal strain, which contains varieties such as "Glamis",
"Windsor", "Balmoral", "Sandringham", "Harewood"
and "Holyrood".
The first garden centre
On Fred's retirement in 1955, the nursery continued to expand, now as
a partnership between his son-in-law George Tyreman and Humphrey Woodcock. They
started a small garden centre, one of the first in the country, on part of the
site in 1957. A new steel framed glasshouse was added to the garden centre a few
years later for the sale of houseplants.
Fred died in 1964 at the age of 85.
Stephen H. Smith buys the nursery and
garden centre in 1966
Two years later in 1966, Stephen Smith bought the nursery having
persuaded George and Humphrey that he could further develop it into one of the
largest Garden Centres in the North of England. Fortunately, Stephen persuaded
George, Humphrey and all the nursery staff to remain with the business.
One of the first purpose built garden centre
showrooms in the country
Stephen drew up a five year plan in 1967. Many of the old wooden
framed glasshouses were pulled down to make way for a new outside framed plant
sales area and the original wooden garden centre shop was replaced with one of
the first permanent purpose built Garden Centre Showrooms in the country.
First trolleys
Mobile plant trolleys were introduced for the first time in Britain
to help customers load their own cars. The new building was opened by Percy
Thrower in April 1968.
Container grown plants introduced for the
first time
Next, the range of plants was widened and the planting season
lengthened with the introduction of plants grown in containers, rather than bare
root. Other product lines were gradually introduced, with Stephen's wife Clare
adding pottery, giftware - and Christmas decorations!
Covered outdoor sales area
The garden centre continued to expand with the addition of a covered
outdoor sales area in 1970, which meant customers could shop outside without
getting wet for the first time. Additional glasshouses, more car parking and
further retail buildings were added over the next few years.
East Busk Lane Nurseries
Stephen bought the East Busk Lane Nurseries in 1967 to replace the
growing space that would be lost to retail sales on the garden centre site.
Three quarters of an acre of new glasshouses were built over the next 5 years.
Production at East Busk Lane included the famous Otley Korean Chrysanthemums
developed by Fred Simpson, alongside thousands of houseplants and bedding plants
for sale in his garden centre and for distribution through the local wholesale
markets in Bradford and Leeds. Plants were not the only crop - Stephen's nursery
produced 10 tons of Tomatoes annually in the early 1970's!
Humphrey Woodcock retired in 1976.
All production of houseplants and bedding plants was finally moved to the East
Busk Lane Nurseries to make room for more retail sales area in 1980.
2nd Garden Centre at Harden, near Bingley
Stephen's son Christopher joined the business in 1985, and together
they added the garden centre at Harden near Bingley in the same year. A new
extension, comprising an indoor plant sales area, a garden furniture showroom
and an aquatics shop were completed in 1985. A Coffee Shop was added in 1986.
Sales on the site doubled within two years.
3rd Garden Centre in Scunthorpe
The Trent Valley Garden Centre in Scunthorpe was bought in 1986.
George Tyreman retired from the Otley site in 1991.
Otley re-development with Coffee Shop
In 1993 Stephen and Christopher opened a 120 plus seater Coffee Shop
inside the garden centre and started to draw up plans to relocate the original
outside plant sales area to make room for a new triple span 17,500 square foot
indoor sales area. Construction was started in August 1995 and the building
opened by Stephen and Christopher in April 1996.
Trent Valley covered outdoor sales area
1997 saw a large covered outdoor plant sales area added at the Trent
Valley site.
Arts and Crafts
The craft and artists supplies shop - ArtCraft - was opened as a
trail on the Otley site in November 1997. The same concept was opened at Trent
Valley in March 1998. Such was the success of the ArtCraft shop in Otley, that
the department was relocated into a new 3,500 sq' area in September 1998.
Re-located and bigger Coffee Shop at Aire
Valley
A brand new Mr Smith's Country Kitchen opened on the Harden site in
August 1999, along with refurbished toilets and a new baby change/disabled
toilet facility.
More car park
2000 saw extended and improved car parks at Wharfe Valley and Trent
Valley with over 300 additional tarmac car parking bays.
4th Garden Centre in Bolton
The Irwell Valley Garden Centre in Bolton was bought from the Golden
Days Group in September 2000. Autumn 2000 and Spring 2001 saw extensive
improvements to the site with refurbished ArtCraft, giftware, furniture
showroom, customer toilets, garden sundries section, pet shop plus a new covered
outdoor sales area, new indoor planthouse and new outdoor sales area.
More improvements
Spring 2001 also saw more improvements at Trent Valley in Scunthorpe.
The giftware and seasonal sections were re-carpeted, the self service restaurant
decor was upgraded and the toilets given a facelift! Spring 2001 also saw
the indoor sales area at Aire Valley re-decorated.
Colour point of sale
Large scale colour point of sale was introduced with the purchase of
a wide format digital printer capable of printing 1.5 metres wide banners up to
30 metres long. A3 and smaller point of sale was improved with an upgraded
colour laser printer.
Wharfe Valley refurbished
January 2002 saw the sundries department refurbished at Otley.
Trent Valley refurbished
Trent Valley was re-roofed and the indoor sales area upgraded in
January - March 2002, with new exterior signage designed to attract customers
from the new retail park that has been built immediately across the
road.
Irwell Valley pet shop refurbished
March 2002 also saw the refurbishment of the Pet Shop at Irwell
Valley.
Aire Valley re-roofed and
re-furbished
Summer 2003 - the entire roof at Aire Valley is replaced with a new,
highly insulated steel cladding. Internal areas
refurbished.
New interior lighting
Winter 2003/2004 - new
high bay lighting installed at Wharfe Valley, Aire Valley and Irwell Valley.
Trent Valley Giftware Department
Extended
February 2004 saw the popular giftware department at Trent Valley
extended.
Wharfe Valley major site
re-development planned
The winter of 2004/2005
saw the start of planning work for a new indoor and covered outdoor sales area
plus a 250 seater coffee shop at Otley. Watch
this space for developments!
Trent Valley Houseplants
re-located
In January 2005 our
houseplant department was re-located and the internal layout re-designed in
order to tie in with the new outdoor sales area.
Irwell Valley
Sundries re-designed
New shop layout and new fittings were installed in
February 2005.
Aire Valley Coffee Shop
The Coffee Shop at Aire
Valley was completely refurbished in March 2005, with a new design theme and new
tables and chairs.
Trent Valley
Shrub Area re-located and covered
June 2005 - a brand new outdoor plant area is
constructed adjacent to the lake, with large paved areas and extensive 7,200
square foot canopies
to allow customers to shop in any weather! The existing outdoor area has
been converted into an all weather compost and aggregate yard with a much
extended product range. The increased size of covered sales allows an
extensive display of water features.
2006 40th Anniversary Celebrations
2006 was our 40th year in business - special anniversary promotions and offers
were available throughout the year.
Scunthorpe
Internal Layout redesigned and refitted
January/February 2007 saw the internal store layout at
Trent Valley in Scunthorpe being completely
re-designed with new entrance, exit and till area. Two new retail units have
been built for complimentary concessions.
Wharfe Valley outdoor plant area
re-built
During the summer of 2007 the whole outdoor sales area
was resurfaced and rebuilt to include a new
17,000 square foot covered canopy and new display benches
throughout. The canopies will allow easier
shopping during periods of bad weather.
Aire Valley Coffee Shop
The Coffee Shop at Aire Valley has been so popular
that during the summer of 2007 we have doubled it
in size and added a new
outdoor deck area.
Wharfe Valley Restaurant enlarged to
300 seats
During the spring of 2008 the restaurant at Otley will be refurbished to provide
new kitchens, two new serveries and seating for 300.
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